Past Gardens

The following gardens featured in our 2023 Trail

Northern Central Coast Region

Chain Valley Bay

Pickles Patch

Pickles Patch is an average size rental residential property employing permaculture principles to grow healthy organic food and medicinal plants on a tight budget. We use both conventional inground and also aquaponic methods, and often yield excess to our needs. Our garden includes chickens, quail, fish, crayfish and mushroom cultivation.

close shot of a hand picking rosemary from a garden
close up of a pink ruffled brassica

Dooralong

Mollies Farm

Mollies Farm is a hobby farm located in the stunning Dooralong Valley. We grow a large variety of seasonal vegetables using low till and natural / spray-free practices (non-certified Organic). We have several raised garden beds and from time to time have a surplus of veggies that we are happy to share and offer for sale or trade. The garden area is easily accessible and constantly evolving. We have some exciting projects planned for this spring and summer.

Dooralong

Tannorwood Flower Farm

Tannorwood is a sustainable micro flower farm and part of the growing ‘slow flowers’ movement. Our blooms, edibles and plants are grown outdoors, holistically integrated with our land practicing permaculture principles. We use natural growing methods to produce beautiful seasonal blooms for weddings, florists, designers, special occasions, cafes, businesses and the general public. We also hope our plant collections will inspire a passionate community of home gardeners to create sustainable, beautiful and colourful bloom filled edible gardens.
Rows of growing flowers
Wide shot of the vegetable gardens at Doyalson Community Garden

Doyalson

Doyalson Community Garden

Awarded ‘Community Champion’ in 2022 by Community Gardens Australia, Doyalson Community Garden is a relaxing and peaceful place to visit and sit a while. A sensory herb garden and towering dragon fruits welcome you in. Walk through to find dozens of productive garden beds, groaning under the weight of some supersized vegetables.

Glenning Valley

Mustard Seed Small Farm

When we moved to this property 2.5 years ago, it was an overgrown paddock. Since then, we’ve established a 400m2 veggie patch, welcomed a flock of Orpington chickens & 2 crazy miniature goats: Salty & Crinkles. We make our own compost on site using a 3-bay hot compost system. We make compost tea from these piles & our 2 large worm farms. Most of our structures have been made with reclaimed materials. We value diversity on our property & have a wide range of herbs, flowers, fruits & veggies growing at all times: both annuals & perennials. If you decide to visit with us, you’ll get a good sense of what’s possible to achieve on a small acreage in a couple of years, with very limited time & material resources.

Tryptych of images - children picking veges in the Mustard Seed Farm gardens
wide shot of sheltered home garden at The Retreat

Gwandalan

A Tranquil Retreat

A very productive organic edible garden with raised beds, chooks, native bees, an edible verge and frog pond. All systems working in harmony together, and a garden host who loves to share her gardening knowledge with visitors.

Gwandalan

Gwandalan & Summerland Point Community Garden

The Gwandalan & Summerland Point Community Garden is a tranquil and relaxing space that attracts abundant and diverse birdlife. An organic garden with the motto: Recycle, remake, reuse. They have native bees, a frog pond and lots of beneficial plantings for the bees. They gladly welcome new members.

productive garden plot in the Gwandalan/Summerland Point Community Garden
Ali and Michael, ALAN Foods

Jilliby

ALAN Foods

Organic market garden using permaculture principles and diverse hedgerows. Michael and Alison sell their organic veggies and microgreens at their farmgate, roadside stall and Farmers Markets. The property includes large onsite compost and seedling production and a young but expansive food forest.

Jilliby

Gavann Garden Farm

Gavann Garden Farm is a small nursery with abundant covered market gardens using raised and keyhole beds. Owners, Gavin and Ann produce seedlings and fresh veggies for sale at their farmgate. The 2-acre property includes a small orchard and nursery, free-range chickens, an impressive composting system and native gardens complete with a feature pond and waterfall for the frogs and birds. The structures have been cleverly repurposed from available resources.

Gavann Farm, Jilliby
masses of yellow, white, purple and pink tulips growing

Jilliby

The Giving Farm

Here at The Giving Farm, we strive to make sure we are connected to our earth. Managing our land, not as farmers but as caretakers of the farm and the earth beneath it. We do not want to be separate from nature but to work with nature and the earth in harmony. Making sure that we are giving back to the earth what has been stripped away by conventional farming, making sure everything is in balance. We are a certified organic farm and aim to have a closed farm. This is where everything we use comes directly from the farm, this includes making composts, growing mulch, using our worm farm and animals to increase biology and health in our soils.

Summerland Point

Blue Swimmer Cottage

Here’s a glimpse at what you will find at Blue Swimmer Cottage: 25+ Fruit trees including our amazing custard apple, coffee & sapote trees ; Approx 100sqm of food producing garden beds, growing a diverse range of fruit, veg & medicinal plants ; The ‘Pollinators Corridor’. A mix of edible, medicinal & ornamental plants growing both sides of a pebble path down the narrow side of the cottage ; 12-month-old native verge garden including native edibles ; Pond with various edible water plants as well as habitat for our local frogs ; Systems in action – water capture & storage, worm farm for food waste, in-ground composting, leave the leaves plus chop & drop composting for garden waste, maximizing microclimates (our lychee & dragonfruit are testament to this).  Soil building in situ ; Tips on pest management & weed control ; Propagation advice ; Plants for sale ; Oh & birds, lots of birds!

low angle view of the Blue Swimmer Cottage gardens with daisies and warrigal greens in the foreground
Wide shot of SWAMP community gardens

Tuggerah

SWAMP Central Coast Community Garden

The active goals of SWAMP are to reduce the impact of local food waste, improve mental health and wellbeing and to build bridges for people to come together. Located on the beautiful grounds of The Central Coast Wetlands, SWAMP is a not-for-profit Community focused organisation, co-founded by a team of seven like-minded humans with a passion for inspiring individuals to participate in the regeneration of community and reconnecting people to the importance of accessing locally grown and raised food.

Wattanobi

Froghollow

A delightful 30-year-old garden producing chemical free food and a home for wildlife, birds, insects, bees and humans. Wicking and raised garden beds, aquaponics, worm farms and permaculture systems mixed with quirky upcycled art pieces.

White chairs surrounded by potted plants in a backyard
Malabar gourd plant growing all over a trellis archway

Woongarrah

Bite Size Permaculture

The garden you’ll find at Bite Size Permaculture is the result of a 15-year journey. Come and see for yourself how we transformed this typical suburban block into the diverse, abundant, foodscape and habitat garden it is today. From the front yard to beyond the back gate, there are plenty of ideas you can incorporate into your own system.

Wyong

Ruby’s Garden

I grew up in a town located in central area of China. Growing food for my kitchen initially hadn’t been my focus but I always have had a passion for gardening. I moved to Australia and took residence in a regional area. While I was excited settling into a totally different natural and social environment, I encountered a big issue for the first time in my life – the familiar daily produce market teeming with freshly harvested vegetables used to be at my doorsteps in Wuhan, and virtually didn’t exist here. The mud-less, squeaky clean vegetables in the supermarkets tasted nowhere near the freshness I grew up with. Ruby’s garden is a diverse, edible wonderland – and tells a fascinating story.

Rows of raised garden beds full of varieties of leafy greens
wide shot of vegetable garden at Wellacres

Wyong

Wellacres

Wellacres is a 5-acre property set on low impact flood plain, surrounded by 80 acres of natural bushland and melaleuca swamp.  We’ve been at this property now for 15 years.  We’ve always grown vegetables and some fruit trees but expanded the gardens during covid to include more native trees and other varieties, included native bush foods.  The last few years have been challenging with three consecutive floods in 3 years and in some cases parts of the garden were under over 40cm of water.  There are many challenges on this property, the flooding, the frosts, the dry times and the wildlife (rabbits, rats and bandicoots as well as flying foxes and possums).  

Central Region

Colourful bird house mural against wooden fence entry to Bateau Bay Community Garden

Bateau Bay

Bateau Bay Community Garden

This accessible garden has multiple raised beds and includes some chickens, native bees and a large frog pond. A mural welcomes you to this garden and there are art and sculpture features throughout the space. Newcomers are very welcome in this joyous place.

Bateau Bay

The Downsizer

This delightful and very productive garden is a great example of just how much food can be grown in a small space – with room for an active dog and relaxation spaces. Through clever pruning, fruit trees are kept at optimum height for a manageable yield. The property also has a lovely north facing native habitat garden which includes native and non-native edibles.

long shot of backyard garden showing fruit trees and garden beds
Front garden featuring pawpaw and other fruit trees

Bateau Bay

My Secret Garden

I have a suburban garden block with very sandy soil. I need to continually add organic material to improve my soil to be productive for vegetables and fruit trees. I am totally self-sufficient in fruit production with mulberry tree, lemon, lemonade, fig, grapevines, cherry guava, feijoa, bananas and pawpaw. I grow most of the vegetables, usually focusing on salad greens, spinach and herbs.  I have a native beehive and worm farm and cold composting bin. I really enjoy my Secret Garden and enjoy working in it.

Gosford

The Farm

Our school farm is rapidly becoming a centre for sustainability education. We teach students and teachers from Henry Kendall and Gosford High schools. The farm currently has 53 chickens that get to roam the entire six acres during the school day, two young heifers, eight sheep and seven lambs. The heifers and sheep form a ‘flerd’ that is rotated through grazing cells in an attempt to teach students the benefits of cell grazing and regenerative agriculture. We have a large market garden that works on permaculture principles, providing food for students and staff, two recently constructed swales, a citrus orchard, two fully irrigated greenhouses, a large incubator and much more

Rows of garden beds with poly tunnel in background
Vege pod garden and compost system inside the Fun Haus

Gosford

Fun Haus Factory

We know that not every Coastie has a fibro majestic on an acre of land! Regardless of whether you’re in a studio with a windowsill, a tight villa with a courtyard, or an apartment with a big or small deck, we are here to prove size doesn’t matter! Come along to the Fun Haus Factory in Kibble Park, Gosford and see our Deck to Dinner Urban Garden focusing on small space gardening for the community. From windowsill to balcony vertical gardens, there is always space for growing herbs, flowers and vegetables.

Holgate

Firescreek Botanical Winery

The multi-award-winning gardens of Firescreek Winery organically grow over 40 plants and flowers from which they hand-produce wine. Set on 2.5 acres, the beautiful gardens feature 3 lily ponds, a food forest, wicking beds, a kiwi tunnel and a large rose ring, just to name a few. The property is bordered on two sides by Fires Creek, with a stunning rainforest/ eucalypt forest backdrop.

Wide shot view of the buildings and the vineyard
Synergy Permaculture flag in the garden

Holgate

Synergy Permaculture Patch

This accessible garden features so many elements including multiple raised beds, chickens, native bees and a large ephemeral pond. Synergy Permaculture Patch is used for educational workshops and is a relaxing and inspirational space.

Kariong

Kariong Eco Garden

Kariong Eco Garden has been busy. There are four new hügelkultur garden beds, set up to display a four-bed crop rotation system, a revised wicking bed and rejuvenated children’s labyrinth. This stunning community garden still boasts a stunning mosaic pathway, local indigenous artwork and a productive food forest.

a wide shot of the new garden beds at Kariong Eco Garden
aerial shot of gathering circle with espaliered fruit trees

Matcham

Adagio

Meg and Graham’s home, “Adagio”, is both a productive food garden and a demonstration/teaching site that they have continued to evolve over the last 28 years. Different areas have been established to help people imagine permaculture at any scale, from the sweeping gathering circle with espaliered fruit trees (two years ago, this was lawn!) to the pocket-sized clothesline garden. You’ll also see their “cupcake beds”, developed by Meg and Graham as a plastic-free alternative to wicking beds. Their system is highly productive without the need for chemical inputs or imported manures and yet they keep no domestic animals (other than two very spoilt cats).

Narara

Geoff’s Hemp House at Narara Ecovillage

Located on a sweeping bend in Narara Eco Village, this less than 3-year-old garden features a wide variety of fruit trees, veggie gardens, pond, and deciduous fruiting vines enhancing the passive solar design of the home. Terracing takes advantage of the north facing slope and improves access to the garden.

wide shot of Geoff's hemp house
garden host pointing out front garden to visitors, from their porch

Narara

Narara Eco Village

Follow the walking trail around the ecovillage to visit the 7 stops including five home gardens, the community gardens in the Triplespan and glasshouse, and the Scribbly Gum Food Forest. Showcasing a diversity of garden styles, all of the gardens are 4 years old or less but constantly evolving. Gardens have everything from fully potted productive patches, raised garden beds, food forests, greenhouse and glasshouse infrastructure, a market garden, guild plantings, new and established fruit and nut trees, chooks, all forms of composting and soil improvement methods.

Niagara Park

Everything IncrEDIBLE

The food garden of a dietitian with a keen interest in food sustainability. There are chickens, a worm farm, compost systems, irrigation, a verge share garden and habitat for wildlife on this suburban site. Carin wants to grow as much food as possible for her family, and to share with, and inspire others, to do the same

Garden Host in garden, showing salad bed in background
Collage of mushrooms, plants and chickens in Clara's garden

North Gosford

Claras Urban Mini Farm

Productive, permaculture food garden with bunnies, chickens, fish, insects, and mushrooms. A medium-sized block amongst the gum trees (with lots of plum trees!) that backs onto a Rumbalara reserve filled with wildlife.

Niagara Park

Everything IncrEDIBLE

The food garden of a dietitian with a keen interest in food sustainability. There are chickens, a worm farm, compost systems, irrigation, a verge share garden and habitat for wildlife on this suburban site. Carin wants to grow as much food as possible for her family, and to share with, and inspire others, to do the same

Garden Host in garden, showing salad bed in background
Herb spiral in front garden of Heart based Holistic Living

North Gosford

Heart Based Holistic Living

In this sunny suburban garden, there are raised hügelkultur beds with ollas in place to keep the soil moist; a pretty butterfly and bee garden, and a herb spiral that takes pride of place in the centre. There are also Australian native foods and a heritage patch which highlights edible plants from South America, reflecting the garden host’s Uruguayan heritage.

North Gosford

Sonja’s Garden

Abundant edibles on a small suburban corner block. Includes a front yard food forest, pond, annual vegetable growing beds, a hidden cottage herb and orchard area, and a native verge with community herb garden.

Native verge garden
Wide shot of the SWAMP market garden beds at Somersby

Somersby

SWAMP Central Coast Market Garden Somersby ‘ The Patch’

This is SWAMP’s second site, located at Somersby – ‘The Patch’. A market garden, partnered with Arc Ento Technologies (an insect farm that breeds black soldier fly, and focused on reducing our food waste and solving our growing plastic problem) they are aligned in creating a sustainable education hub for schools, families and individuals to come learn, and be inspired by, seeing firsthand a system that works collaboratively to close the loop.

Terrigal

The Bromeliad Garden

The garden host’s knowledge and talent are on show in this garden. Making good use of the mild climate, there are peppers and chillies growing through winter and a wide range of brassicas, leafy greens, peas, beans, potatoes – you name it – it’s growing in this garden. Rosa loves to cook, and she grows what her family wants to eat, making use of everything in the garden. In addition to the productive raised edible garden area, there are many fruit trees throughout the property and a large chicken run.

close up kale, brassicas and lavender in The Bromeliad Garden
Colourful sign for the Wyoming and North Gosford Eco Gardens sitting above a corrugated iron raised garden bed

Wyoming

Wyoming & North Gosford Eco Community Garden

Our Garden started from small beginnings in 2013 with a stony, dusty, bare portion of our Community Centre space, the occasional boggy bit after heavy rain, through a few false starts, a definite just do it attitude, with lots of laughter, and a few tears. To re-use, re-purpose, and sometimes re-invent, has always been the focus. Our community compost grew from one wobbly, donated worm farm, our flower beds gave years of enjoyment to local fisher folk, the concrete laundry tub has a new life as a herb garden. The garden has welcomed many volunteers and community to connect with nature and each other.

Southern Region

Copacabana

Copa Good Life

Attractive front garden and verge, featuring Corten steel and stone edge raised beds producing vegetables, herbs and beneficial plantings. The area includes clever gabion walled seating around a firepit and a protected outside eating area. Great example of a garden growing despite the elements, particularly salt and wind off the ocean. The backyard includes chooks, multiple raised no dig beds plus citrus and espaliered fig.

Laneway Garden, Avoca
Empire Bay Public School Bush Tucker Garden sign

Empire Bay

Empire Bay Public School

Part of sustainability at EBPS is the kitchen-garden program. There are raised gardens beds for every classroom allowing children to grow, maintain, and harvest vegetables and then cook with their produce. We are very excited about our newly planted Bush Tucker Garden. With the help of our parent community, we have designed and built a beautiful bush-like space using 100% native Australian plants. The garden is in a central location for all to use and admire. Children are learning about sustainability when we look at Aboriginal traditional practices. We discuss native plants and why they are more sustainable and have been used by Aboriginal peoples for many different purposes and for thousands of years.

Killcare

Bells at Killcare Kitchen Garden

In our restaurant, the seasonal menu offerings are designed using large amounts of house-made, home-grown, organic and local produce from our gardens and local suppliers. The hotel grounds feature two lush edible gardens, which are harvested daily, forming the basis of much of the menu. Our Horticulturist, Megan Jackson, and house chefs are continuously planting new, seasonal seedlings and hand-picking produce to use that very day. In addition to the onsite kitchen gardens, we have approximately 30 chickens that keep the kitchen well supplied with fresh eggs. We are dedicated to growing our own produce and sourcing as much local produce as we can, to ensure quality and seasonality are achieved.

Hedges and wooden fence surrounding Bell's kitchen garden
Showing visitors the chickens. Photo credit: Lisa Haymes

Killcare

Permie Life

Cottage style edible garden with perennials, annuals and fruit trees interspersed. Vertical growing and wildlife protection in use, chickens with deep litter system, ponds and ‘food is free’ verge garden.

Killcare

Ukuzala

Showcases a large mandala garden and extensive food forest – both only three years old but very productive and extremely attractive. Produce from the mandala garden is regularly donated to community organisations. A huge flowing pond increases biodiversity and creates habitat for the local wildlife.

Mandala garden surrounded by tall trees
Shrubs and herbs in mulched beds

McMasters Beach

The Sandcastle

Located on a rural site and surrounded by established trees and distant mountain and sea views, our 2.5acre block got its name from its working origins as a Sandmine in around the 1960’s- 1970s, until it was abandoned and rezoned. We’ve spent 10 long years transforming our block from a hot, dry, sandy and barren site into a lush garden filled with natives, tropical exotics, Mediterranean landscapes and of course, fruit and vegetable gardens.

Umina

Miyan Nura

A combination of native herbs and vegetables with more traditional introduced herbs and vegetables. The flavours and nutrition of our native herbs have been ignored for too long and I am trying to show their use and beauty. I endeavour to put every food scrap to work in a variety of ways, in particular by using a variety of different worm farming systems. Some of these I have created by recycling common containers.

Well mulched garden bed showing lettuce, onions and strawberries
The garden host family in their backyard

Woy Woy

Casa de Colzey

Extensive food garden featuring raised beds, many multiples of vertical growing systems and very narrow pathways with direct street frontage. Great examples of ‘chop n drop’ mulching to reduce inputs and improve soil fertility, espaliered fruit trees, vines, berries, abundance everywhere you look!

Woy Woy

Mark Snell’s Front Yard Vegies

In a street of front yard deserts, Mark has created his own front yard vegetable oasis in just 18 months. However, the lead-up to this has taken 20 years of failed attempts. The Peninsula’s sandplain soil is naturally dry and hydrophobic. When water does get into the soil, it drains away quickly. In a garden with substantial shade trees, the tree roots soon seek out the water and the nourishment and take over the garden beds. The solution has been raised garden beds in the full sun of the front yard, built using a combination of wicking bed and Hügel Kultur principles.

Raised garden beds in the front yard
Sunflower archway at Woy Woy Peninsula Community Garden

Woy Woy

Woy Woy Peninsula Community Garden

11-year-old community garden with extensive food forests, many raised beds for annuals, a meditative space enclosed by a herb spiral, plus wonderful infrastructure including a secure seed bank, outdoor gathering space under shady trees, friendly faces and community spirit a plenty. Wheelchair accessible

Empire Bay

The Chef’s Garden

This pretty and productive front garden is truly a chef’s joy. Providing herbs, edible flowers, and other unique plants to help provide inspiration and creativity for the seasonal menus for the Chef’s Garden café almost directly across the road in the Impact Plants Nursery. Visit the garden and then make sure you pop over to the Café for a delicious bite to eat.

Lorrae holding a bowl of freshly picked salad in front of her house